Tough Love
by SouthernChickie
Summary: Richie crosses the line... and so does Duncan. Companion to University Love. Now Complete
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimers: Don't own.  
  
TOUGH LOVE  
  
Richie gunned the engine and looked to his left at Ben who gunned his engine in return. Richie grinned smugly and turned his attention to Angie who stood in front of and between the two cars. She raised a red bandanna in the air and waited a few seconds then brought it down. The second the bandanna moved down, Richie let go of the break and shot down the dark road tires squealing. Den was right next to him driving a '76 Chevy. After all the bragging Richie had done, he wasn't about to let the T-bird loose out to an old Chevy. He pushed down the accelerator and glanced at the speedometer. 85 mph and climbing.  
  
"Come on, baby," he encouraged the car. "Just a little more."  
  
. . . . . .  
  
"Where's Richie?" Tessa asked coming out of his room. She and Duncan had just gotten back from dinner with the governor honoring the sculpture she had done for the city's bicentennial. Richie had nearly gone into shock when the limo had shown up. She had been expecting him to be demanding a ride around the block as soon as they got home.  
  
"Where's my car?" Duncan asked looking out the back window expecting to see Richie's bike missing, not his car.  
  
"Maybe he had errands to run," Tessa suggested.  
  
"At one in the morning?"  
  
"Maybe if the errand's name was Michelle." Tessa held up a note she found by the TV remote. "With Michelle, took car, back late," she read. "Not much for words, is he?"  
  
"Only when he's trying to get away with something. Look at this." Duncan held up a scrap of paper that Richie had tried to throw away but missed the trashcan. "12 farmhouse Michelle," he read then showed her the note so she could see the doodles.  
  
"Looks like somebody's in love," she smiled.  
  
"What does this tell you?" Duncan asked his anger rising. At first, Richie was just going to get a lecture for taking his car without asking, but now he was in big trouble.  
  
"He met Michelle at twelve," Tessa said.  
  
"At the farmhouse."  
  
"Is that a make out spot?" she asked missing the significance.  
  
"For the winners it is. Kids drag race there. He took my car drag racing!"  
  
. . . . . .  
  
Richie dared a glance to his left and saw Ben's bumper trying to pull even with this side view mirror. Smiling he turned his attention back to the upcoming finish line, the third intersection from the starting line.  
  
"One more time," he assured the car and pushed the pedal to the metal.  
  
. . . . . .  
  
"You hear that?" Duncan asked as the roar of engines approached them. "That is the sound of an overworked Thunder Bird."  
  
"Duncan," Tessa sighed. "You don't know if Richie's been racing. He may have just come to watch."  
  
"I know he's racing," he argued. "Only Richie is dumb enough to.." Duncan was cut off as two cars raced by the intersection they were approaching.  
  
"That was the T-Bird!" Tessa exclaimed.  
  
"And a streak of blond."  
  
"Go get him!" she ordered.  
  
"No, I'm going to let him revel in his victory, then kill him," Duncan decided getting out of the car. "We'll see you at home. You go on ahead."  
  
. . . . . .  
  
"Told ya!" Richie exclaimed proudly putting the car in park and leaping out. "This baby can fly!"  
  
"You were awesome, man!" Jarred cheered. "You smoked him. No offence, Ben."  
  
"You know, I'm liking the congratulations, but what I really want is the money," Richie announced smiling in the middle of the crowd. "Let's have it!"  
  
Duncan slowly approached the small cluster of teens. A curly haired girl made her was to the center of the group.  
  
"You want your money?" she asked Richie waving a roll of bills in his face.  
  
"Michelle, you know I came for you. but the money would be nice," Richie smiled.  
  
"You really want it?" she asked him as two boys took him by the arms.  
  
Duncan watched expecting Richie to throw a fit for being restrained. Instead the boy blushed and watched Michelle put the roll of bills in her cleavage.  
  
"Come and get it," she purred.  
  
"If you say so," Richie grinned. A cheer went up from the crowd as Richie leaned in face first to get the money.  
  
"Congratulations, Rich," Duncan said just before Richie's teeth closed around the bills.  
  
Richie froze. "Uh-oh."  
  
"That's an understatement," he assured him.  
  
"Parents!" someone yelled and the crowd moved to disperse.  
  
"Richie, Angie, Jimmy, Michelle, freeze!" Duncan ordered naming off the kids he knew. All four stopped in their tracks. "Come here!"  
  
The teens exchanged looks. "We're screwed, might as well face it," Richie mumbled taking the first step toward Duncan; the rest followed.  
  
"What the hell did you think you were doing?" Duncan demanded. Nobody answered. "Do you have any idea what could have happened? What if one of you had crashed? Someone could have could have gotten hurt. or killed! What would you have done then?" Again none of the teens spoke. The all stood in a single file line heads bowed and hands behind their backs. "Well?" he demanded again. "Richie?"  
  
"Mac, can you just chill?" the boy asked when he found his voice.  
  
"No, I can't. Now do any of you have a ride home?" The four teens exchanged looks before slowly shaking their heads in unison. "How did you get here?"  
  
"Ben," Jimmy answered. Angie nodded silently adding herself to the group that had come with the other racer.  
  
"And you came with Richie?" Duncan asked Michelle. She nodded. "And who's idea was it to race in the first place?"  
  
Michelle opened her mouth to answer, but Richie cut her off. "We don't know."  
  
"So you just magically showed up here at the same time," Duncan said. "I believe that one."  
  
"Word gets around," Richie shrugged.  
  
"Who gave you word?"  
  
"I don't remember," he answered at the same time Michelle said. "I did."  
  
Duncan smiled a smile that sent shivers down Richie's back. "Caught in lie number one. Do you care to amend your claim of not knowing whose idea this was?"  
  
Richie set his jaw. "No. I don't know who started this."  
  
"Do any of you know?" Duncan asked Richie's three friends.  
  
"Don't say anything, you guys," Richie instructed.  
  
"You know what, Rich?" Duncan reached out and grabbed Richie by the arm and pulled him close spinning him as he did so. Richie ended up with his back to Duncan's chest. Duncan used one arm to pin Richie's arms to his sides and the other hand to cover his mouth. "I don't want to hear anything from you right now."  
  
Richie didn't struggle but snorted and glared at his friends, telling them to keep their mouths shut.  
  
"Well?" Duncan demanded. "Who wants to start?"  
  
For a few minutes nobody said anything. After all, rule numero uno was if you get caught don't let anyone else in on your misery. Michelle started at Richie, who did his best to look bored and not scared out of his mind. Apparently it didn't work because she started to talk. She told how at first Richie was just going to watch and how he had dismissed all the other cars saying the T-bird was better. Then Ben challenged him to put his money where is mouth was and race.  
  
Richie flinched as Duncan's grip tightened when Michelle said the T-Bird was his. The hold got stronger and stronger as she recounted the race and how fast Richie had been going. Finally, Richie couldn't take the growing pain and moaned into Duncan's hand.  
  
Duncan hadn't meant to hold onto Richie the entire time and let him go. He gave him a shove toward his friends. Richie hadn't been expecting the push and stumbled into Jimmy.  
  
"So, Rich, that's your car?" Duncan asked. Richie rubbed his jaw and didn't answer. "When did you get it?" Richie just glared at him. Duncan reached toward Richie again and spun him to face his friends. "Tell them who's car it is," he instructed. "Or at least tell them who's its not." Richie looked at his feet and mumbled something. Duncan forced his chin up so he had to look at his friends. "What did you say?"  
  
"It's not mine," Richie repeated. "It's Mac's. I borrowed it."  
  
"Borrowing means you asked," Duncan said in Richie's ear. "Did you ask?"  
  
"No," Richie answered. He could feel his cheeks burning and his anger rising. Duncan was embarrassing him on purpose.  
  
"I guess that means you stole it, huh?"  
  
"I didn't steal anything!" Richie insisted pulling himself out of Duncan's grip and turning to face him. "I have a key!" He pulled is keys out of its pocket. "You gave it to me!"  
  
"You had a key," Duncan snapped snatching the keys out of his hand. "Get in the car."  
  
"What about my friends?" Richie demanded. Normally he'd leave them for not sticking up for him. But he doubted he would stand up to Duncan either if he wasn't being picked on.  
  
"You all get in the car too. I'll take you home. And you'd better give me the right addresses because I'm not leaving until I talk to your parents."  
  
"Mac, you can't do that!" Richie protested. "You have no right!"  
  
"Richie, shut up."  
  
"No! You can't tell them what to do! And for that matter you can't tell me what to do either!"  
  
"Richie, shut up and get in the car," Duncan groaned. Richie had worked his way up from a lecture to scrubbing toilets for the rest of his life. One more word and he was a dead man walking.  
  
"No! You're not the boss of me!"  
  
"Funny thing to say to the man who signs your paychecks."  
  
Richie paused putting together the last couple sentences in his head. "That has nothing to do with right now!"  
  
"You are under my care. So I suggest you listen to me before I loose my temper and call the police."  
  
"Why; so they can make me listen to you?" Richie scoffed.  
  
"By the time they finish ringing up the charges, you'll be begging to come home."  
  
"Charges?"  
  
"Drag racing. illegal. Gambling. illegal. Grand theft auto. illegal. You're just lucky you're too old to be breaking the city curfew. But you are supposed to be home by two; it's two fifteen. So it's up to you."  
  
"Fine, you may be able to push me around. But you have no right to do it to my friends."  
  
"You're toeing the line, Richie," Duncan warned. "I suggest you take a big step back before you cross it."  
  
As if the line was more than just a figure of speech, Richie took a few steps back until he was in the relative safety of his small pack of friends. The teens stood in silence watching Richie, who was waiting on instructions from Duncan.  
  
"I want the money," Duncan said putting his hand out expectantly.  
  
Richie took the roll of bills from Michelle, counted out fifty dollars and handed the bills to Duncan.  
  
"What's this?" Duncan asked.  
  
"The money I put in."  
  
"No, no, no you don't understand. I want all the money."  
  
"No way," Richie said, giving the rest of the money to Jimmy. "Just make sure everyone gets what they put in."  
  
"Richie, come here," Duncan said. Richie slowly approached him. "Let's take a little walk." He put his arms around Richie's shoulders and led him to the passenger side of the T-Bird. "This is how this is going to work. You are going to cooperate so you don't get in anymore trouble, you understand?"  
  
"Mac, you can't take their money," Richie insisted. "You can't talk to their parents, you can't tell them what to do."  
  
"I'm going to take the money," Duncan told him. "And talk to their parents. If they want their kid's money back, they can have it. The rest is going to charity."  
  
"No," Richie told him flatly.  
  
"Richie, I've had just about enough of your attitude. So you either behave or I'll make you," Duncan warned.  
  
"You'll make me?" Richie scoffed. "How?"  
  
"You'd be surprised, Rich. I've contained myself for this long. but you're this closing to getting a whooping you'll never forget."  
  
Richie stood up a little straighter and puffed up his chest trying to look as intimidating as he could. "You wouldn't," he challenged.  
  
"If you push me, I will."  
  
"I don't believe you," he scoffed.  
  
"I've never lied to you before and I'm not about to start now."  
  
"So do you mean you start swinging if I push you literally?" Richie asked giving Duncan a shove.  
  
"Richie, that wasn't smart."  
  
"You know, Mac. I'm real sick of you playing daddy all the time. I'm not going to take it anymore." He threw a punch that Duncan easily blocked.  
  
"Richie, have you been drinking?" he asked smelling the air and catching a whiff of alcohol. "You stole my car and decided to kick back a couple beers before racing it?"  
  
"Not a few beers, just one," Richie corrected. "I'm not drunk. And I didn't steal anything!"  
  
"We've been over this, Richie. You didn't ask and this was not an emergency.you stole it."  
  
Angie, Jimmy, and Michelle watched Duncan and Richie argue a few dozen feet away. They couldn't hear what was being said but from the looks of it, things were about to get physical. Richie shoved Duncan and then tried to punch him. They argued a little more and suddenly Richie attacked. His fighting ability had improved somewhat since any of them had last seen him fight, but he was still no match for the older man. One punch sent the boy to the ground. Satisfied Richie wasn't going to argue anymore, Duncan called to the others.  
  
"Get in the car!"  
  
They all quickly moved to comply and piled into the backseat. None of them dared to say a word. It was hard to tell if Duncan's one swing had been in self-defense, a reflex, or out of anger. They weren't going to risk finding out. 


	2. ch 2

Richie was silent the entire way home. He sat slumped in the passenger seat unmoving while Duncan drove each one of his friends home in turn. Duncan noticed out of the corner of his eye that Richie would periodically wipe at his nose with the back of his hand and/or snort. If Duncan didn't know better he would have sworn Richie was crying.  
  
"So I guess that just leaves you, huh?" Duncan asked after returning to the car from his last drop off.  
  
"Guess," he shrugged slouching down further and angling himself away from Duncan.  
  
"Might as well get on with it, then," Duncan sighed. "How fast were you going?"  
  
"Fast."  
  
"Exactly how fast?"  
  
"I don't know. Last I checked, 85."  
  
"85 MILES AN HOUR!!!"  
  
"Give or take," Richie did his best to act tough, but his refusal to look anywhere but out the window proved otherwise.  
  
. . . . . .  
  
"That's not fair!" Richie insisted, jumping out of the car as soon as Duncan pulled to a stop behind the store.  
  
"I think it's plenty fair," Duncan called to the youth's retreating back.  
  
"What's not fair?" Tessa asked, having heard the yelling. Richie didn't say anything, just brushed past her and went straight to his room. "Duncan, what's wrong with him?"  
  
"Oh, he's a little mad at me at the moment," Duncan answered.  
  
"No, I figured that out," she told him. "I mean why is he limping and bleeding?"  
  
"He's bleeding?" Duncan asked. "Where?"  
  
"It's all over his face."  
  
"What?" Duncan moved past her and opened Richie's bedroom door without knocking.  
  
Richie was lying on his bed with his right ankle propped up on a pillow and his head hanging over the side of the bed. His hand was clamped over his nose.  
  
"Are you okay?" Tessa asked, stepping past Duncan in the doorway.  
  
"I'mb fahn," Richie's nasal voice answered.  
  
"What's so unfair?" she asked, shooing Duncan out of the doorway.  
  
"Nubin'," Richie answered not moving.  
  
"Duncan's gone, it's just you and me," she continued, sitting on the edge of his bed. "Can you tell me what happened?"  
  
"Mac totally crossed the line!" Richie exploded, sitting up.  
  
"Calm down," Tessa soothed. "Here, let me." She took the bloody Kleenex from his hand, tossed it into the trash and got a clean one before tilting his head back and applying gentle pressure. "Now start from the beginning. What happened?"  
  
"God said let there be light."  
  
Tessa smiled. "And then Duncan showed up and."  
  
"Totally started pushing me around. and my friends! He took all the money, then took them all home, woke up their parents, got all them in trouble and then.. Oh, then he turned on me!"  
  
"You're in trouble," Tessa translated.  
  
"He has no right to do this to me!"  
  
"But he did anyway."  
  
"And he went way overboard on the punishments, too!"  
  
"Punishments, more than one?"  
  
"Let's see, I'm basically grounded for three months," Richie started bitterly. "Everyday, I have to take out the trash, clean the store and the loft, I alone, am responsible for keeping the kitchen clean, no TV, no computer, no phone, no radio, no going anywhere! It's ridiculous!"  
  
"Well, think about this reasonably," Tessa said. "You took the car with out asking, and then took it out drag racing. You don't think you deserve part of it?"  
  
"And he's totally building this whole other universe out of the whole thing!" Richie continued as if she hadn't spoken. "He says I stole the car, got drunk, and gambled! I borrowed the car, had one. ONE beer and put some cash in the pot."  
  
"You drank?" Tessa asked.  
  
"One, Tessa, one. That's it! I've had loads more and not had any problems getting home."  
  
"You what?"  
  
"Look, that's like the third beer since I moved in, I swear, okay?"  
  
"And you still say you don't deserve any of this?" Tessa asked keeping her temper. Richie knew he wasn't supposed to drink. He didn't answer. "Now, tell me what happened here?" She gently touched Richie's eye that was steadily turning a darker shade of purple.  
  
"Nothin'," he answered turning away.  
  
"Looks like nothing hit you pretty hard. Does it hurt?"  
  
"Eh," Richie shrugged.  
  
"I'll get you something for that," she told him with a smile getting up. She walked into the kitchen to get some ice for Richie's eye and found Duncan fuming at the table. "Do you want to give me your take on this?"  
  
"He had it coming, Tessa," Duncan defended. "If he hadn't pushed me so far, it would have been a lot easier for him."  
  
"So the punishment stands?" she asked. "For three months?"  
  
"One day for every mile per hour he was going," Duncan nodded. "Or if you don't like that: one month for stealing my car, one month for drinking, and one month for drag racing."  
  
"What about fighting?"  
  
"Fighting? He already got what he deserved for that one."  
  
"What? A black eye, bloody nose, and a twisted ankle?"  
  
"Is he really that bad?" Duncan asked.  
  
"He'll live, but I think he's going to be pretty sore for awhile. And I think he should stay off that ankle."  
  
"Fine, he can stay in his room for a week," Duncan shrugged.  
  
. . . . . .  
  
Richie sulked in his room day in and day out for a week. His ankle healed quickly because he never used it. His eye on the other hand had yet to return to normal by the end of the week. It was still swollen and purple Saturday morning when Duncan went to wake him.  
  
"Get up," Duncan said gruffly. He was still angry about what Richie had done. Richie groaned and didn't move, except to bury his face further into his pillow. "Get up," Duncan ordered giving Richie a sound whack on the butt.  
  
"Hey!" Richie barked, flipping over and sitting up.  
  
"I gave you warning."  
  
"One, don't touch me," Richie snarled. "Two, get the hell out!"  
  
"Excuse me? Last I check this was my house and I was the adult. That means I get to give the orders," Duncan snapped.  
  
"Then you should find someone who cares. Because I told you, you're not pushing me around!" Richie shot back.  
  
"You'd better listen to me," Duncan growled grabbing Richie by the collar of his t-shirt. "You are walking on thin-ice, mister. I suggest you wise up and shut up before I make you."  
  
"Make me?" Richie said trying to hide his fright. "I dare you."  
  
"You don't want to do that, Richie," Duncan warned, raising his free hand.  
  
"I do," Richie responded coldly. "Because the second you lay a hand on me again, I'm calling the cops." Duncan just looked at him. "This is assault and battery. And if I was a couple weeks younger it'd be child abuse. and you know it."  
  
Duncan put his hand down and tried to keep control of the situation. "Nobody would believe you. You're a liar and a thief. And your attitude has gotten you into enough trouble without you adding to it."  
  
"They may not believe me," Richie acknowledged. "But I have a witness." Richie looked over Duncan's shoulder at the door. Tessa stood there, in shock and staring at the two.  
  
"Tessa, you have to admit it, he deserves it," Duncan started.  
  
"What does he mean lay a hand on him. again?" Tessa demanded yanking Duncan away from Richie. "You did that?" she continued not waiting for an answer. "You hit him and gave him that black eye?"  
  
"Tessa, I."  
  
"Better leave us alone."  
  
"It's the only way to get him to listen!" Duncan defended despite Tessa's gentle tone.  
  
"Get out of the room," Tessa told him. "I want to talk to Richie."  
  
"Tess."  
  
"Out!" She almost laughed.  
  
Duncan left, mumbling confusedly to himself all the way to the store.  
  
Richie rolled onto his stomach and turned his head away from her. "Thanks," he mumbled.  
  
"Now, what is this all about?" Tessa asked sitting on the bed. "What did you do?"  
  
"What did I do?" Richie repeated turning to face her and sitting up. "Nothing! The guy is a nut!"  
  
"Richie, he is very patient with you. You must have done something?"  
  
"Why does it have to be my fault?"  
  
"It's both of your faults," Tessa said. "But I want to know your part. Unless of course you have been a perfect little angel as always." Richie looked at her. "Did you handle the situation perfectly?" Slowly, he shook his head. "Did you try to understand where he was coming from?"  
  
"And I suppose understanding me led to the bloody nose?" Richie snapped.  
  
"No, all I'm saying is you are not un-blamable here. While Duncan didn't handle this properly at all, you can't say you did, either. He should have never hit you in the face. He could have seriously hurt you."  
  
"Wait, are you saying it would have been okay if he hit me somewhere else?"  
  
"I'm saying it would have been more reasonable."  
  
"More reasonable?"  
  
"More understandable?" she offered.  
  
"Understandable?" Richie repeated. "So I'm just a no good punk who deserves to be beaten?"  
  
"One hit doesn't count as being beaten, Richie," Tessa told him. "Surely you've been spanked before."  
  
"I think I'm a little old for that, Tess."  
  
"And you're a little old to act like such a child."  
  
"Tessa, you don't understand. I don't fit in anymore. It's like I have to prove myself everywhere I go."  
  
"Don't fit in where?" Tessa asked, confused.  
  
"It's stupid," Richie shook his head and looked away.  
  
"Tell me anyway. Where don't you fit in?"  
  
"Anywhere. Not here, not with my friends, nowhere. It's like there are these two worlds and I can see myself in both, but I just can't get there. I know it sounds stupid, but it's true. It's like everyone wants me to pick, but I don't want to. Why can't I do both?" Tessa waited knowing there was more. "You guys think I'm a punk, my friends think I'm a yuppie. And if it was the other way around everything would be perfect."  
  
"So you've been so stubborn with Duncan to impress your friends?" Tessa asked.  
  
"He's usually so cool about it. I cop an attitude and he yells at me for a while. He wasn't supposed to change tactics. Sure, he's looked like he wanted to just beat the snot out of me before. but I was so sure he was never going to do it."  
  
"And then he did."  
  
"And it hurt like hell."  
  
"I think you should be telling Duncan this, not me."  
  
"How did I know that was coming?"  
  
Richie got dressed and had a leisurely breakfast before going down to the store (after cleaning up the dishes, of course. After all, he was still grounded).  
  
"Hey, Richie!" Mr. Pete, the delivery guy greeted him when he spotted Richie coming down the stairs.  
  
"Hey, Mr. P," Richie smiled back.  
  
"Wait, what happened to your eye?" Mr. Pete questioned.  
  
"Oh, I, uh," Richie's had immediately went to explore the still sore bruising of his face. "I, uh, was just goofing off with some friends," he lied. "All of a sudden, it wasn't just fun and games anymore because I almost lost an eye," he added.  
  
Mr. Pete smiled. "I knew that saying was true. You take care of yourself, you hear me?" he instructed as he left the store.  
  
"Will do," Richie called after him.  
  
"Ready to work?" Duncan asked considerably nicer than Richie expected.  
  
"Actually, I'd rather talk first, if that's okay."  
  
"Okay. Let's go upstairs."  
  
They settled in the living room Richie feeling very claustrophobic in the middle of the otherwise empty couch and Duncan perched on the coffee table in front of him. maybe that's where the closed in feeling was coming from.  
  
"You first," they said at the same time. There was a short pause then: "Okay, I'm sorry."  
  
Richie smiled. "I've only seen that happen in movies before."  
  
"Me, too."  
  
"I shouldn't have been such a jerk." Richie started.  
  
"I shouldn't push you around in front of your friends." Duncan added before Richie had finished.  
  
"But I totally took advantage of your trust.."  
  
"I should have let you explain."  
  
"I was just showing off."  
  
"I let my anger get the better of me."  
  
The continued talking over each other so all Tessa heard was, "I had no right to hit you like that. I just wanna fit in. When I got so defensive with Tessa. No, I totally deserved it. I knew that I had done the wrong thing. I wasn't right either, Mac. I still think you deserved it. I shouldn't have taken the car. But there were other ways.Mac, I. Rich. I'm sorry!" they finished together.  
  
"Well, I'm glad we got all that out of the way," Duncan smiled. "But you're still grounded."  
  
"Yeah, I figured."  
  
"What's this about you wanting to fit in?"  
  
"That's what Tessa wanted me to talk to you about."  
  
"Well?"  
  
"Mac, my friends think I'm a yuppie!"  
  
Duncan looked at Richie for a second. "A what?"  
  
"Yuppie. you know; white bread? Cake eater? Green hand? Gold plated? Snob?"  
  
"Oh, I got that last one. What does that have to do with anything?"  
  
"You said you should have let me explain, so I'm explaining," Richie told him.  
  
"What does this have to do with what your. you want to fit in," Duncan realized mid-question. "You were showing them you were the same guy."  
  
"I had to prove that I hadn't changed."  
  
"Richie, you have."  
  
"I know; that's half the problem. I don't want to be a yuppie. I can't be."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"You said it yourself, Mac. I'm a liar and thief. Thieves aren't yuppies, they're thieves."  
  
"Okay, so don't do either. Be yourself."  
  
"Myself doesn't get me very far."  
  
"It'll get you farther than pretending." Richie didn't answer. Just nodded in understanding. "So, is it my turn to explain?"  
  
"Go for it."  
  
"I got swept up in not letting you get away with anything, and I kept thinking 'What would my father do if I had done this to him?' Then I did it."  
  
"You're dad beat you?" Richie asked in disbelief.  
  
"You have to understand, Rich, that was the way things were done back then. There was no such thing as grounding. There was nothing to get grounded from. So if you got in trouble."  
  
"That sucks."  
  
"That was life. But things are different now, I have to respect that while there was no age limit on obeying your father without question when I was young. there is now. And hitting a kid is no way to make them listen." They sat silently having made their apologies. "So are we okay?"  
  
"I don't know, Mac," Richie answered.  
  
"So what do we do now?"  
  
"Since you always seem so keen on making deals, I have one for you," Richie told him. "You get one free shot. which you've already had. and from here on out, I swing back--no questions asked, no punishments rendered."  
  
"Okay," Duncan agreed.  
  
"And as far as last week goes, I guess the punishments stay. I'll do my chores and what not, no complaints. but you can't push. And once this is all over, we never speak of it again."  
  
"That's very adult of you, Richie. I'll agree, but. as for as what I sentenced you to, I want to change it. You work Monday through Friday but you get the weekends off from the store. But, you have trash duty and kitchen clean up for the next three months. You have to keep your room clean, too. You can have your stereo back and as long as you behave, you can watch the play offs.No leaving and no phone still stands, except you have an hour to call your friends and cancel all your plans for the next three months."  
  
"So I still can't go out? At all?"  
  
"I guess you can go out to unload groceries from the car and if you ever want to go jogging with me you can do that too. Deal?" Duncan asked offering his hand.  
  
"Do I have a choice?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Then fine." They shook on it.  
  
"So, let's get some work done," Duncan smiled happy to get it all behind them.  
  
"Not so fast, Mac. It's Saturday. I'm off," Richie smiled back. "I have a new CD I've been dying to listen to. See you at lunch."  
  
"Clean your room," Duncan told him as he got up to leave. "Inspection in two hours."  
  
"I'm supposed to get that mess cleaned up in two hours?"  
  
"I guess you better hurry."  
  
"You suck."  
  
"That sounds like a complaint to me, young man. Get moving."  
  
Richie rolled his eyes and went to clean his room.  
  
"How do you do it?" Tessa asked Duncan once Richie had left the room. "You commit such a horrible crime against him and he leaves the room smiling after ten minutes worth of talking."  
  
Duncan shrugged. "We have an understanding. You know. Richie's going to be pretty busy for a while. Why don't you and I." he trailed off nuzzling her neck.  
  
She giggled and kissed him before leading the way to their room. Richie ended up with more than enough time to get everything cleaned up. 


End file.
